You may think that title is an exaggeration but let me explain. My previous blog about these fad diets was more of a rant but for this one, I will explain the reasoning why these diets are dangerous. Detoxification is a 3 phase process that takes place primarily in the liver and then the kidneys. To simplify things, lets use the garbage/refuse analogy. Phase 1 is like collecting all the rubbish in your house for that weekly collection. Phase 2 is when the bin becomes full and you place it in the main bin outside your house and place it out for the collection people to come and take it away. Phase 3 is when the bins are collected and all the rubbish is removed.

Now, phase 1 is easy to do and this is where these fad detox diets are cashing in. The problem is that this does not help support phase 2. Simply put, if you have a party in your house for a group of friends, you create a lot of mess in a short amount of time, therefore your bin becomes full and overflows.

Phase 2 is massively nutrient dependant, we get nutrients from our diet. If our bin is full or overflowing or we forget to take the rubbish out then we begin to pump harmful toxins and stink our house out.

I have seen a lot of people complain of varying conditions from headaches to lack of energy to bad skin when on these diets. They have been told this is all part of the system clear out and they seem to call it the 'healing crisis'. I don't know about you but I have never called anything good, a crisis.

Because the body is so reliant on good nutrition and amino acids, when it is depleted because of these diets, it starts to look elsewhere to get them. An excellent place to find them is your muscles, and this is bad news for you. If you are trying to build muscle or burn fat, having a body that is highly toxic is very counter productive.

Phase 3 is an easier approach. It is all about your kidneys. If you keep supplying them with healthy greens and lots of veg then they will work automatically.

And that is it. If you insist on doing a detox, don't be fooled by these companies selling you 3 shakes for £40. Remember, you need to keep your body in a state of balance. For detoxification to be successful, you need to feed it essential nutrients, not starve it.